Embankment protection.



UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

'PATENT OFFICE.

EMBANKMENT PROTECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,494, dated January 31, 1905. l I Application filed February 27, 1904. Serial No.- 195,633.

To @ZZ whom, t may con/cern: v

Beit known that I, ALBERT STRONG COL- THAEP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Millikens Bend, in the lparish of Madison and State of Louisiana, have .invented a new and useful Embankment Protection` of which the following is a specification.

This linvention relates to the protection and preservation of embankments of streams or other bodies of water, more particularlyto those subjected tothe action of running water or the impact from waves, and has for its object to provide a revetment or protecting member which may be extended indefinitely and adjusted to conform to the rising or falling of the water.

vpart of `this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like vdesignating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment ofthe invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the invention 1s not necessarily limited thereto, as va. rions changes in the shape, proportions, and

v general assemblage of the parts may beresorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is therefore re- 1 the same.

the device.

served of making all the changes and modifications which fairly fall within the scope of the invention and the claims made therefor.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of an emf bankment with the improved protecting means applied, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 3 represents the implements for adjusting the 'device upon the embankment. Fig. 4: is a perspective detailk of a modified form of the canchoring portion of Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional'view taken through the upper end of one of the runners of the present device. The improved device herein described conthe most available.

` sists of a plurality ofvlongitudinal plates 10,

preferably of plankingor boards, connected across their rear sides by spaced transverse members 1l, preferably of relatively light timbers, and held to the longitudinal plates by spikes, bolts, or other fastening means l2. The longitudinalplates thus vconnected will constitute a section of the improved protecting means, and any required number of the sections Will be placed end to end along the. i portion of the embankment (represented at 13)'to be protected, with the adjacent por.

tions of the ends preferably guarded by covering-plates 14 to prevent the entrance of water at the joints with sufcient force to undermine the sections. The sections will be partially submerged by their lower edges, and to insure the retention of the sections in proper position weights 15 will be attached at suitable intervals above the surface of the water, which isindicated at 16. These weights may be of any suitable kind,but will generally be bags of earth, sand, or the like, as being Each bag is provided with a loop o for detachable connection with a spike, pin, or projection c, carried near the 4upper edge of the revetment, there being a plurality of such pins to permit of the bag being held. at different locations and to permit ofa plurality of Weights being applied to the section whenever v it may become necessary. The lower portions of the transverse members 11 will be cut away next the plates 10,.so that the lower edge of the sections will closely engage the embankment 14, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus prevent vthe water passing beneath the plates and iioating the sections away from the embankment. Where gullies, cavities, or other depressions c occur in the embankment and overwhich the protectingsections are required to be placed, oneor more bags of sand or earth 15 will be suspended in the cavity beneath the vlower edge of the section, which will lfill the depression and 'form a ,tamping medium which will effec- 4tually close the openingand prevent the entrance of water, which would in a short time completely undermine lthe sections and destroy theirusefulness. vSuch weight-bags are designed to be detachably-connected to the end of the runner and capable of being alined loweredgeportionoftherevetment-sectionsm transversely with the runner when the secthe same manner as described for the weights 15, and while a single pin only has been shown near the lower edge of each section it will of course be understood that additional pins may be employed in accordance with the number of tamping devices required. The sections will preferably be maintained submerged to anniform extent, and where the depth of the water varies provision must be made to adjust the sections to correspond therewith, and an approved means for thus adjusting the sections is shown, consisting in extending the transverse members 11 upwardly and providing them with apertures 17 to receive the hooked ends of rods 18, which may be readily operated by men standing upon the embankment and operating them from that position. The apertures for the hooks will preferably be formed through the members l1 at an angle thereto, so that a hook having an outward trend, as at 19, may be inserted therein from one side when the sections are to be pushed farther down the embankment,or a hook having an inward trend, as at 20, may be inserted from the opposite side when the sections are to be drawn farther up the embankment. 1f preferred, the two hooks may be arranged upon one rod, as shown. The sections may be of any suitable size, but will generally be about twelve feet long and four feet wide to meet the average requirements, but may be larger or smaller to suit the varied circumstances under which they are used.

By this simple arrangement it is obvious that an embankment or. shore may be quickly supplied with a very eflicient revetment which will thoroughly protect the bank or shore from erosion andwhieh may be quickly adjusted to conform with the stage of the water and maintained at a uniform degree of submersion, so that the same extent of the protecting members may be maintained above the water to receive the impact of the waves as they are thrown against the bank and effectually prevent any erosive action thereby.

While the weightsl are ordinarily sufiicient to maintain each section in place, it sometimes becomes necessary to positively anchor the device, and to provide for this contingency an opening 21 is formed through the upper projected end of the transverse member or runner 11 for the reception of a pin 22, (shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,) which is designed to be driven through the opening and into the embankment so as to positively anchor the section against slidable movements up and down upon the embankment. In addition to the anchoring-pin 22 I also propose to employ another anchoring-pin 23, (best shown in Fig. t of the drawings,) said pin being intermediately pivoted, as at 24, to one of the upright edges of the upper projected l i i, l i

tion is being` handled and iitted in place and also capable of being turned at substantially right angles to the runner in order that its opposite end may be driven into the embankment after the section has been properly set in place. It will of course be understood that each runner is to be provided with an opening 21 for the reception of a pin 22 and also with the pivotal anchoring-pin 23, so that either or both of these anchoring devices may be employed. When the pin 22 is employed, the section cannot be readily slid up and down, as it is necessary to pry up the upper ends of the runners so as to loosen the pins 22 before the section can be raised or lowered by means of the hooked devices 1S. \Vhen the pivotal anchoring-pins 23 are employed and the pins 22 omitted, the section may be readily slid up or down, as the pivotal, pin will turn under excess pressure and draw out of the embankment when a strong pull or push is applied to the section through the medium ol the hooked devices 18 and can readily be again driven into the embankment when the section has been set to the desired new loeation, wherefore it will be understood that the. pivotal anchoring-pins have an :nlvantage over the pins 22. Moreover, the pins 2? are positively carried by the runners and are therefore always in position for being` conveniently driven into the embankment, while the pins 22 are assembled with the runners only when they have been driven through the openings 21, and therefore do not form quite so convenient anchoring` means as that aliorded by the pivotal pins. Under ordinary strains the weights and the pivotal pins 23 are sufficient to hold each section in place; but

should the strength of the current or waves become excessively violent the pins 22 may be employed in addition to the pivotal pins to insure a positive anchoring of the device. Located between the transverse perforation 17 and the upper extremity of each runner is a lixed reinforcing-pin 25, which is designed to prevent splitting of thc extremity of the runner under the pulling strains occasioned by the hooked devices 18 when raising each section;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A protection for embankments consisting of protecting members disposed longitudinally of the same and partially submerged, weights applied to said protecting` men'iber above the water, and means for adjusting said protecting member to maintain the same submerged to a uniform extent.

2. A protection for embankments consisting of protecting members disposed longitudinally of the same and partially submerged, weights detachably applied to said protecting IOO IlO

member above the water, and means for adjusting said vprotecting member to maintainV the same submerged to a uniform extent.

y3. yA device ofthe class described comprising a rigid revetment-section provided at its upper end with means for anchoring the same iiat against an embankment, and a weighted tamping element connected to the lower edge portion of the section and projected downwardly beyond the same to engage and iill a washout portion of the embankment below the revetment-section.

4. A protection for embankments consisting of a plurality of protecting members disposed longitudinally of the same and partially submerged, and guard-plates for covering the adjacent ends of the protecting members.

Al protection for embankments consisting of plates disposed longitudinally of the same and connected across their rear sides with transverse members, the sides of said transverse members next the longitudinal plates being cut awayto bring'the rear sides of the same in substantial valinement with the rear faces of the transverse members, whereby the lower edge of the longitudinal .plates will vclosely-enga, "e the embankment when applied thereto.

6. A protection for embankmen'ts consisting of a plurality of members formed of 1ongtudinal plates connected across their rear Asides and adapted to be placed end to end upon the embankment to be protected and partially submerged, and with 'guard-plates covering the contiguous portions of the endsl of the protecting members.

, 7. A protection for embankmentsconsist- I ing of protecting membersdispos'ed longitudinally'of the same and partially submerged,

means for adjusting said protecting member' tov maintain the same submerged to a uniform extent, and an anchor means carried by vsaid y protecting memberfor forcing into the embankment.

8. A protection for embankments'iconsisting of protecting members disposed-longitudiof the same and partially submerged,

nally means for adjusting said protecting member to maintain the same submerged to uniform extent, and anchor members movably connected to said protecting member for extension therefrom into the embankment.`

v9. A protection for embankments consisting of plates disposed longitudinally of the same and connected across their rear sides with transverse members, with the transverse members extending above the longitudinal plates, and anchor means ends for forcing into theembankment.

10. A protection 'for embankments consisting of plates disposed longitudinally of the same and connected across their rear sides with transverse members, with the transverse members extending above the longitudinal plates, and anchor members movably connected to said extended ends for projection therefrom into the embankment.

11. A device of the class described consisting of a revetment-section provided upon its under side with runners which are projected at the upper edge of the section, each upper projected end of the runner being provided with an inclined tirely through the sectionand also having another perforation extend-ing through the projected end of each connected to said extendedl perforation extending enrunner in the plane ofthe runner at an angle to the plane of the section f for the reception of an anchoring-pin.

12. A device of the class described consisting of'a revetment-section having runners upon its under side which are projected at the upper edge of the section, the projected end of each section being provided with an inclined perforation extending entirely through the runner in the plane of the section, and a fixed reinforcing-pin piercing the upper end of each runner above the perforation therein.

13. A device of the class described consistingof a revetment-sectionl having runners upon vits under side with their upper ends projected above the section, Aand anchoringpins intermediately pivoted to the upright edges of the upper projected ends of the runners.

14. V A device of the class described consisting of a revetment-section provided upon its under side with runners which are vprojected above the upper edge of the section, said pros jected :ends of the runners being provided with perfor\at1ons intersecting the same at an IOO angle to the plane of the section for the reception of an anchoring-pin, and other anchoring-pins pivoted intermediate of their ends to the, upright edges of the projected ends of the runners.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT STRONG COLTHARP. Witnesses:

ANDREW J. SEVIER, Jr., C. H. LUoAs. 

